Technical Director Electrical Engineering, Renewables

About the role

This inspiring position is open remotely to any agreeable location within the United States, with Arlington, VA, Houston, TX, or Denver, CO as primary locations. The Technical Director, Electrical Engineering, Renewables will lead client engagement, renewables subject matter expertise, and team leadership for due diligence, development, design review, and construction phases for utility and commercial-scale solar, wind, and BESS projects across the U.S., primarily in the private sector. The role involves project and task delivery, oversight and guidance of delivery teams, occasional proposal and business development support, and situational guidance to PMs and managers to address current and future challenges while ensuring quality, safety, and functionality meet or exceed industry standards.

Responsibilities

• Grow Owner’s Engineer (OE) capabilities within the Renewables Business Unit (RBU), including strategy creation, hiring, and leading cradle-to-grave OE opportunities.
• Drive full-scope OE opportunities, owning the client engineering interface and overseeing discipline-specific engineers.
• Explore asset lifecycle/management/repowering opportunities to assess business cases, including client interface and business case development.
• Participate in QA/QC activities related to EOR projects and RBU initiatives such as standardizing project delivery and processes.
• Support GCC initiatives by leveraging global WSP engineering resources to improve operational KPIs.
• Provide project leadership and oversight for designs and studies associated with solar, BESS, and wind facilities, conforming to client specifications, national electrical codes, and best industry practices.
• Coordinate, review, and approve electrical infrastructure design plans for mid-level and complex projects, ensuring data integrity and compliance with codes, ordinances, and regulations.
• Apply high-level electrical engineering techniques to identify improvements across project phases, including concept development, design, procurement, construction, and operation.
• Develop or review construction plans, specifications, and cost estimates; prepare construction safety and phasing plans; and update infrastructure layout plans with coordination among owners, disciplines, sub-consultants, and clients.
• Oversee from project inception to completion the management of design and construction of electrical infrastructure projects, including rehabilitation, reconstruction, site development, grading, drainage, equipment layout, specifications, phasing, and construction safety plans.
• Lead larger-scale BOP engineering projects, setting deadlines, overseeing budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring performance, and supervising subcontractors and employees.
• Assist with engineering review of permit applications, design plans, standby plans, and contracts to ensure compliance with regulations and sound engineering practice.
• Meet with public or private entities to discuss electrical/engineering/construction challenges and programs; ensure technical reports and presentations clearly explain research, findings, and recommendations.
• Mentor staff to support professional growth and remain current in latest BOP engineering techniques and practices.
• Collaborate with professionals across disciplines on Federal, State, regional, and locally funded projects, as well as proposal and business development opportunities.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company resources and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 12+ years of relevant post-education experience as an electrical engineer providing design deliverables for renewables, ideally at utility, industrial, or commercial scale.
• Highly proficient with electrical engineering principles, practices, design/build, and application to permitting and project-related issues.
• Highly proficient with BOP design.
• Experience with infrastructure planning, design, and program/construction management, including coordination with civil engineering, P&C, SCADA, and telecom.
• Experience mentoring staff to support professional growth.
• Strong knowledge of relevant engineering and electrical construction laws, codes, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements.
• Highly proficient with technical computations, understanding plans and specifications, and making factual comparisons to regulations.
• Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills for interacting with engineering and non-engineering audiences.
• Strong self-leadership and ability to effectively interact with clients, regulators, project managers, and employees at all levels.
• Works independently to provide guidance and leadership to mid-level to senior-level team members with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Proficiency with technical writing, office automation, discipline-specific design and modeling software, technology, math principles, predictive models, spreadsheets, and tools.
• Experienced with providing critical review for documents and preparing complex technical deliverables and plans.
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills to apply technical knowledge and reach effective, economical, and logical solutions.
• Demonstrated effectiveness at coordinating and directing subcontractors and others to complete tasks safely and efficiently.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety, and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs; able to prioritize responsibilities and adapt quickly to change in a pressure work environment.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Balance of Plant Solar, Wind, and/or BESS experience.
• Professional Electrical Engineer license required (multi-state preferred).

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage.
• Retirement savings options.
• Paid sick leave, paid vacation (or other personal time), paid parental leave, and paid time off for bereavement, voting, and/or naturalization proceedings.

Pay

Expected Salary (all locations): $145,400 – $259,100

Expected Salary (Colorado only): $130,300 – $226,100